Against the World
by Ascalon The Demoknight
Summary: Murderer of hundreds. Grotesque hybrid. Traitor to humanity. That is Annie Leonhardt, (former) Military Policewoman, now prisoner in a dismal cell underground. Frankly, she does not care that the world is against her. Oneshot, Eren x Annie


_Where am I…?_

_I did not want this. I'm sorry, Eren. For the deaths, for all those senseless deaths, for the families left behind by the dead. _

_I'm sorry, Eren. _

_But at least it won't happen anymore. I will not hurt anyone. I cannot hurt anyone. Not in this frigid prison._

_Now leave…_

* * *

Eren slid behind a gate, quickly glancing behind him. Good. Armin and Mikasa were nowhere to be found. Most likely, they were back at HQ, trying to clear their heads before they were forced once again to venture out into the confines of Wall Maria. Soon, he was to be there, reporting before Captain Levi and the rest of the Corps. He knew full well that these moments were precious- they could very well be his last inside the shelter of the Walls.

He didn't seem to care, or if he did, it didn't show. One eventually grows numb to it. He was just thankful to be alive.

Descending the flight of stairs, the knowledge that if he was caught he could face trial and execution pounded in his head. He gulped, knowing full well that he could only stay a short time. A short time would be all he needed.

The first room he came to was empty, save for a few lit torches. He wondered how those things didn't go out, with the almost-complete lack of oxygen down here. With each step, he found it more difficult to breathe. He'd be out soon, he promised himself.

At the end of the room was an unguarded corridor. Lured in, Eren lifted the latch.

Unlocked.

Eren was surprised, but then it faded. There was no point in having the door locked- everyone within Wall Sina had already seen the destruction that Annie could cause first-hand. Their fear was enough of a deterrent. Their hatred for her was enough to keep them away. The only other people needed to guard Annie were two half-drunk men at the top of the staircase.

Looking back one last time, Eren shut the large metal door, lowered the latch, and began to make his way along the corridor.

The dank, narrow hallway smelled of dust; a pungent smell that invaded Eren's nostrils and lungs, forcing him to bend over in a loud, coughing mess. Instantly he straightened up. Technically, it was still illegal to be here. He had to make sure nobody was around him.

Once it had passed, he continued, wondering why the procession of torches attached to the walls were lit. Perhaps they had not been extinguished properly after the routine daily check. Whatever it was, Eren knew he could only stay a short time.

About fifty metres forward, the corridor gave way to a small, empty chamber. Empty, that is, apart from the girl, frozen helplessly into a block of ice. Lying perfectly still on a grey wooden block, Annie slept, almost peacefully. Perhaps she didn't need to wake up. Perhaps she didn't _want_ to wake up. After all, if she did, then the rest of the Military Police would come, brandishing chains and instruments, with Hanji at the front. And the experiments would never stop, invasive, frightening, violating, until she collapsed from desperation and fatigue. They would then let her sleep, and would return once more. Personally, Eren hated it, but what could he do? It was for the good of everyone in the walls that Annie was treated like this. Eren himself didn't even have a right to feel sympathy for her- weren't Petra and the others killed by this woman in front of him? He was almost murdered as well.

Soon, he found himself standing over this motionless block of ice. Annie's face now showed, the only part of her body unprotected by her icy shell. Angrily, Eren struck the stone pedestal and screamed.

"Annie, you bastard!" he cried.

Slowly her eyes opened, and she spoke, staring up at the ceiling.

"Eren…" Annie began, her voice trailing off. "Please don't call them…"  
"Who?" he asked, knowing full well who she feared so much. Hanji.  
"I won't, Annie." Eren growled.  
"I see."

There was a brief silence, after which Annie began to speak again.

"Why are you here, Eren…?"  
"I wanted to see you, Annie."

Annie said nothing.

"Annie. Are you messing with me now? I am perfectly serious. I need answers, Annie!"  
"I see." she said, closing her eyes. "Always the hothead, Eren."  
"Why did you kill them all?! They had children…comrades…friends… and you killed them all, you bastard!"  
"Eren…"  
"No, shut up!"  
"Eren!"  
"Why?!"

Annie did not reply.

"And you don't regret anything? Not even a little? You're fine with killing all of them!?"  
"Eren."  
"What?! Tell me what you want, dammit!"  
"I'm sorry."

Taken aback, Eren stared at the immobile Annie, his mouth open.

"I am sorry."  
"You think that's enough?!" he cried.  
"Of course not, Eren. I'm not an idiot."  
"Then why? Why?!"

Annie closed her eyes, and as she did so, let out a sigh.

"Eren, I do not know."  
"What do you mean you don't know?!" screamed Eren.

Again, Annie refused to answer, blind and withdrawn, ignoring the screams and pleas of Eren. When Eren fell silent, he stood up, his face twisted into an ugly expression of fear and hatred and turned to leave.

"Annie. I hope I never see you again, you monster." Eren muttered under his breath. Before he reached the corridor, the icy voice of Annie stopped him in his tracks.

"Eren." Annie said. "Do you hate me?"  
"Huh?" Eren asked, his fists clenched and teeth gritted. He wanted to scream yes, to transform into a Titan himself and destroy this…this monster that so cruelly destroyed the lives of so many people. He wanted to take out his sword and stab her, then gleefully watch as the blood dripped down the blade onto his hand. Then he would burn her body, and watch as the smoke disappeared, along with the sorrow of so many who saw their friends and family die by her hand…

Eren gripped the blade of his sword, then released it, exasperated. He could not hate her. He did not hate her.

"No, Annie. I do not hate you."  
"Hm? Even after I nearly killed everyone you hold so dear? You're so amusing, Eren."  
"I only hate…them." Eren replied, refusing to face her.  
"The Titans? But am I not one? And aren't you one as well?" Annie laughed.

Eren gave no response. Soon, he found himself standing above her again.

"Eren. My face is exposed. I will not make any effort to defend myself. You have your sword. I have nothing. Kill me now." Annie asked, a distinct lack of emotion in her voice. Then again, she was always like that.  
"Annie…"  
"If you want to kill me, do it now. Eren, this may be your only chance to kill me."

Raising his sword, Eren held it above her body for what seemed like an eternity. He wanted to kill her. But he could not. She was still human, after all.

He could never hate her.

"I will not, Annie." Eren said. "I do not hate you."  
"Oh? And yet when you were a Titan, you tried to do just that."

Eren could say nothing. Everything she said was true. And yet he couldn't bring himself to kill her now.

"I have nothing to say to you, Annie." Eren said. He meant it. Turning to leave, he was interrupted in his tracks by Annie's voice again.

"Eren." Annie said.  
"What is it now?" Eren snapped. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."  
"Tell me again. Do you hate me?"  
"No."

Turning her head ever so slightly, Annie looked at him. In her eyes, Eren could not see the savagery with which she killed senselessly so long ago. She looked neither hateful nor dangerous- she could obviously not do anything in her current state, but Eren thought that even if she could, she wouldn't. She didn't want to kill him. It was almost as if she…she pitied him.

"Eren." Annie said again. "Thank you…"  
"What?...!" Eren cried. Was she thanking him? Hadn't she tried to kill him earlier? Didn't he want to kill her? Was she admitting defeat?  
"Thank you, Eren. For not hating me."  
"Annie? What do you mean by that?"  
"Eren…I don't want you to hate me."  
"Huh?!" Eren exclaimed. "What do you mean, Annie?"

Pausing for a few seconds, Annie closed her eyes.

"Nothing." she said, her icy tone now returning. "Now leave before anyone sees you here."

Searching for something to say, Eren came up with nothing. Then he left, leaving behind Annie. In a matter of seconds, he was gone.

Slowly, a tear escaped Annie's eye and fell onto her icy shell, where it froze. Releasing herself to the emptiness in the room, she allowed herself to drift back into her slumber.

* * *

_They will come for me_, she thought. _They will come for me and torture me and kill me. Because they hate me. They want to kill me. The entire world hates me._

_But I can keep on living. I still want to survive, even though the world hates me._

_Just as long as Eren does not._


End file.
